1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating, more particularly to a method for repairing and restoring a damaged area of a surface to a desired shape.
2. Description of the prior art
Repair or customizing of a selected area of an automotive vehicle body, usually requires building up the surface of the selected area with a molding compound or the like and then working or molding the compound to establish the desired shape. This of course applies to surfaces requiring such repair or other items as well.
One way comprises applying molding compound to the dented or otherwise damaged surface to build it up higher than the desired contour, allowing it to harden, then planing it down to the desired contour. This way results in a rough surface, possibly with pullout of the almost finished compound surface, and broken planer blades from inadvertent contact with the adjacent surface. Moreover the desired surface is obtained at relatively high cost by sculpturing, which requires a worker with special skill.
Another way, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,500, issued to A. Haber, comprises the method of applying a molding compound, then while it is partially hardened, shaving it away by moving a saw-toothed blade back and forth across the area which received the compound, as it is advanced over the area,. The blade is bent to the desired contour and allowed to bridge over to the undamaged surface adjacent to the area for receiving, so that the desired overall contour is achieved.
Still another way, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,813, issued to A. Andrea, comprises applying a rigid mold to the soft The mold comprises a shaped molding member having a surface corresponding to the desired contour, in which the member has mating recesses and extensions for joining it with other members to form a rigid mold for conforming the molding compound to the desired surface configuration. Only little sanding is required afterwards.
These and other apparatus and methods currently known or in use are generally costly to operate. They either do not easily provide, or are not suitable to economically provide, a wide range of contours.